| My gratuitous motorcycles page |
| 1985 Suzuki GP100 Owned 1990-1991 What a heap of junk this was. Well everyones gotta start somewhere. Actually looking back it wasn't that bad for a 100cc, 11 hp learner bike. Hilariously bouncy suspension on the back. If you carry a passenger their footpegs are on the swingarm so when you go over bumps they get a jolt first from the suspension, then another through the footpegs. Got me through my test, or would have done had some little git not nicked it first. Marias boyfriend Pete found it, it was covered in mud as it had been used off road. Maria had it for a few days to pass her test. Heres a picture of the lovely Maria cleaning it! Memorable moment: 1) long distance (!) touring from Oxford to Bristol. 2) When the engine 'blew up' Actually it was the spark plug popping out! |
| 1979 Moto Guzzi V50 Owned 1991-1999 Another beautiful, unreliable heap of Italian junk. I owned this for many years and only did 14,000 miles on the thing. It broke down so often it broke my heart. I spent countless hours rebuilding, restoring it and it gave me some good memories, including one faultless trip to Dublin and the Wicklow mountains. Eventually I gave it to Kate when she passed her bike test, who didnt like it and it got sold to help pay for renovations to our flat. Never again an Italian bike (until that Ducati comes along that is). This is a picture of me the day I passed my test. |
| 1992 Yamaha XJ600S Owned 1992-1994 My first proper motorcycle, this one was ultra reliable, quite quick with slightly stodgy handling. On this I toured all the way to Budapest. Heres a picture of me in Belgium, with a very rare Gillet motorcycle in the background. Eventually I got bored and bought: Memorable moment: Nope! |
| 1992 Honda VFR400 NC30 Owned 1994-1996 When this arrived on the back of Agos truck it was an absolute wreck. It didnt run (someone had installed the carb rubbers upside down), had a dodgy paint job, and only the top half of the fairing. But once we got it on the road, oh what a joy to ride. The absolute best handling bike I have ever ridden, especially on Bridgestone BT90 tyres. The V-four engine is an absolute gem, don't let the whine from the gear-driven cams put you off. Torqueier than the opposition too (this is relative ie not very). On this bike I got pulled by the law more times than on any other bike. In fact the only other bike I ever got stopped on was the Guzzi, and that was because of my hand signals (no not that kind, silly!). Eventually I needed to carry a passenger and bought the Bros. This is a picture of my bike when it first arrived, with one of its cousins, the NC21K which Ago raced in the Manx, on the right. |
| 1988 Kawasaki GPX750 Owned 1995 An expensive mistake. I bought this one to find it had soft cams. This cost me hundreds of pounds to sort out. Once fixed I took it touring in Ireland, round the Ring of Kerry, and was not happy unless I was airborne on it. This is one rev-happy motorcycle, and was made to be ridden at 90+ miles per hour. I dont need my bikes to do that (well not all the time) so I sold this one to my friend Steve Whittaker after a few months. Thats a picture taken in Ireland. Note backpack bungeed to tail unit.. |
| 1985 Yamaha SRX400 Owned 1995-1996 A real cutie this one. Sold only in Japan, this was imported into the UK where we only got the 600cc version. Admittedly the 600cc version is a better bike, but this ones got real character. One of the two bikes I have owned that have to be kicked over to start it (much easier than the 600!). I bought it cheap to do up, and had to buy a new engine for it from a breakers. Once fixed this was a beautiful, retro style bike. Bit slow though, as the engine only makes about 27hp. Sold this one to my friend Emma, who didn't keep it long. Heres a picture of Emma, about to ride off on her new bike, with her daughter Polly (who went home in the Camper Van). Memorable moment: Pretending to be Geoff Duke (a famous singles racer).. |
| 1985 Yamaha FZ400 Owned 1996-1999 Another grey import sports bike, this one was a bit problematic. Took us ages to find the fault in the carbs that meant it cut out after being ridden 5 miles. One of those bikes with a real power band - little power till 7,000 revs, then a real kick all the way to the red line. Kate liked this one, but eventually we sold it to Alex from Reading, who promptly wrote it off into the side of a van that pulled out on him. This is a picture of when we 'picked up' the bike! Memorable moment: When it went! |
| 1988 Honda Bros 650 Owned 1996 - date Ah this is more like it. This motorcycle has a cult following, particularly in America where as the Hawk GT, it is raced in Battle of the Twins. Whilst it looks like a more staid machine, this bike is probably the best all rounder you can buy, particularly if like me you are not very tall. Lovely torquey V-twin motor that I've tuned up a little, with an (ahem legal in the US) aftermarket Supertrapp exhaust. This bike is a bit uncomfortable for a pillion, but nevertheless Kate and I enjoyed a memorable holiday visiting Belgium, Holland, Germany and Czechoslovakia on it. We also went to the TT in 1997 to see Ago and Blair race, and early one morning we put in a 50 minute lap round the 37 mile course..the racers do it in 19 minutes.. Memorable moment: Dropping it down a ditch in Germany.. |
| Other motorcycles I have had the pleasure to throw my size 8s over: Yamaha Vmax The sensation when the V-boost kicks in makes this one hell of an addictive motorcycle. No wonder its been in Yamahas catalogue for over 10 years. I didnt find the handling as bad as they all say.. Yamaha FJ1200 A cheap way of going very very quickly, but not feeling like its quick. Also: MTX50, C90, Typhoon 125 (Phooey), CG125, AR125, Z200, MZ250, RD250, TDR250, CB250N, CM250, Guzzi V35 Imola, Jawa 350, GSX400, CB400T, Z400T, CB400F, CB1, FZR400, VFR400NC21Z&K, VFR400NC24, GSXR400, ZXR400, CM450, CX500, CX500C, CX500 Turbo, KLE500, XV535, XT550, Revere 600, 600 Bandit, SRX600, CBR600, ZZR600, XJ650, BSA A10, Triumph 750 Bonneville, GT750, VF750, VF750C, BMW K75, BMW R75/5 DiFazio, Z750, 750 Virago (whoops), ZXR750, Ducati 750SS, Ducati 750 bevel, Guzzi Cali II, 883Harley, CB900, GPZ900, Triumph Trident 900, Triumph Daytona, CB1000, GS1000, VTR1000 Firestorm, 1000Harley, Honda Blackbird, Buell X1 Lightning (holey moley), Harley 1340. |
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| Heres how not to do a burn out. Heres Ken (on bike) and Bryn (holding on) at the Eurodemo in Paris in 1994. It was late at night and a few bevvies had been sunk. Kens back wheel managed to dig down through the soil until it hit a big stone, which wore a huge groove in the middle of his tyre. Oh how we laughed.. |
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| Picture of Guzzi and me at the end of a long hard Poker Run in Ireland c.1996 Note the colour of the exhaust - thats mud, not rust for a change! |
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| This picture is dedicated to shortarses everywhere! Ray: "What do you mean you can't lower the seat?" Ladies, thats Ago the famous TT racer in the tasty boiler suit. |
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| 1988 Guzzi 850 T5 Owned 2006 - date Do I even listen to myself? I vowed never to own another Guzzi, and here I am, 7 years later with another one. First impressions? Rides nice and smoothly, despite the carbs needing balancing, stable bike. The reports of the 16" front wheel causing bad handling may be overstated, but I've not had a dry road to try it out yet. Its one hell of a heavy bike to get on and off the centre stand, but fine when on the move. Short term aim? Balance the carbs, buy some spare cables and a workshop manual, mod the sidestand so its useable. Long term aim? Buy some hard luggage and go two-up touring in Spain. Update 19 Oct 2007 It's been an eventful year. The engine has been partly dismantled, new rings, battery, recon cam followers, timing chain and gears, stator, UJ fitted, as well as a new stand and front wheel. It now has panniers fitted and took Kate and myself down to Bournemouth in reasonable comfort. It's let me down three times, and I have resisted the opportunity of sliding it into the Thames. The pinion bearing closest to the shaft drive collapsed, which entailed another strip down of the shaft drive to remove debris. It's still bloody noisy (clattery) at the top end, but Toby tells me it's not terminal. But it's fun to ride. At the moment I am thrashing the noisy monster down the M40 to Marlow on a regular basis. This morning it wouldn't start, and Kate had to help me bump it..oh well. Future plans: resist the constant temptation to slide it into the Thames, recover the seat, and meet...Baldrick! |